Quit Smoking Cigarettes - Tips and Tricks

If you're ready to quit smoking it is important to plan ahead and remain steadfast in your determination to do so in order to avoid a relapse. This includes preparing yourself for everything from getting through the cravings to replacing your old habit with new, healthier ones. The following tips and tricks can help you not only kick the habit, but keep you from relapsing and lighting up again in the future.

Tips and Tricks to Conquer Cravings

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Realize that your craving for a cigarette will only last about 3 - 5 minutes

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It is important to note that the intensity of your cravings will not last very long, although it may seem like an eternity at first. Each time you successfully get through a craving without a cigarette, the cravings will get less and less intense when they hit.

If you are used to having a smoke whenever you get stressed out, try to avoid stress or any triggers you know of for the first few weeks after quitting. Also, you can prepare alternative stress-management options ahead of time.

Especially during the onset of a craving, chewing a piece of gum or sucking on a candy can help to distract you from smoking. There are also sugar-free varieties if you are worried about your sugar intake.

Telling others about your decision will help you to maintain your determination because it forces you to be accountable. Nobody likes others to see them fail so by letting others know, you have all the more reason to avoid the temptation to smoke again.

By writing down on paper your reason to stop smoking, you can easily recall why you decided to quit in the first place and maintain your resolve. When you experience a craving, go through the reasons in your mind and it will help you focus on the benefits not smoking will have on your life.

If you feel a craving coming on, breathe through it. Slow, deep breathing will help to relax you and center your focus on something other than the craving itself. Breathing exercises also help to strengthen the lungs and reduce stress.

It is easy to forget how much smoking actually costs so putting the money you didn't spend on cigarettes in a jar and putting it somewhere you can see will help to strengthen your resolve. Plus, you can reward yourself by purchasing something nice for yourself once you have accomplished your goal.